Deep Sleep
by Taylor Gerrard
Summary: Locked in a coma, Hermione Granger could hear people talking around her. At least she is not alone, as she hear people talking, but what she does not comprehend is why Draco Malfroy is one of those people. Dramione.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.

Enjoy.

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CHAPTER 1

 _"How nice - to feel nothing, and still get full credit for being alive."_

 _\- Kurt Vonnegut_

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"Good morning Hermione," Ginny Weasley beamed as she walked into her best friend's room. "I brought you coffee, and your favourite scones from Muffin Man." She placed both the coffee and the scones next to Hermione's bed and she walked across the room to pull the curtain as she does every morning for the past year.

"Well, I hope it's not going to rain today. We're having a picnic for Albus's birthday today at Regent Park."

She sits down next to Hermione's bed and continue, "You should've seen Mum's face when we told him we'll be doing a picnic birthday for her grandson. It was hilarious!" As Ginny was laughing, she held onto Hermione's left hand, tightly and slowly her laughter turned into a quiet sobs.

"I really missed you, Hermione," she whispered after a few minutes. "Please, just wake up and eat the damn scones. Anything, please. I need you. I need my best friend back, please."

"Ginny," Harry slowly approached his wife. Ginny turned around and leaned into Harry's arm. "I cannot stand this. I miss her, Harry." He hugs her, "I know, Gin. I know."

Ginny rubbed her nose, sniffling loudly as she said, "I'm going to see the nurse and see if she made any progress today."

Harry nodded and smiled at his wife as she went outside to search the nurse in charge of Hermione. He sits in Ginny's seat earlier, and hold Hermione's hand. It doesn't matter. He was pretty sure that Ginny knows as well as he does, that there hasn't been any progress on Hermione since the day they found out about the coma.

He sighed, as he stared at his oldest friend. She looks exactly the same as she does a year ago. Her hair is still the wild, untameable mass of curls that somehow have mind of its own. He chuckled, as he gently tucks few stray hair behind her ear.

He smiled sadly, "We still haven't given up on you, you know." He slowly rub his fingers around Hermione's arm, the same thing he always does when he's trying to calm her down. "Please don't give up on yourself. We know you will find your way back," he glanced at the untouched coffee and scones, "and when you do, we'll be right here waiting for you. With your favourite scones and all." He sniffled, he never really quite understand her obsession with scones, though he would give anything to have Hermione back in front of him, lecturing him about the history of scones and how to make them.

"If you're wondering where Ron is, I have to apologised because he couldn't make it again today. He's still working on his assignment in Edinburgh," Harry knows it's a lie, and if Hermione can speak, she would scorned at him for making excuses for Ron. But he is still Hermione's husband, and Harry's other best friend, so he couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth. Not yet. Especially when Hermione is in this condition.

Memories came rushing back as he leaned back onto the chair, his arm resting calmly on top of Hermione's hands. He and Ginny just came back from their dinner when they saw Ron siting in their living room.

"Ron, is that you?"

Ron looked at his sister and shrugged, "Yeah." He was holding a half-empty bottle of firewhiskey and he turned to Harry, "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm here." He stands up, "I'll leave now." He was clearly tipsy and distraught.

"No, it's fine. Sit down and talk to me," Harry guided Ron back to his coach and he asked, "What happened? Where is Hermione?" He looked at Ginny and gives her a look. She nodded and left the living room to check on Hermione.

Ron snorted, "She's not here. She went to her parents' house."

"Oh." There's nothing much Harry can say to that. He knows that Ron and Hermione have been going through some rough time now. "What is it this time?"

Ron looked at Harry as he take another gulp from the bottle and raised his eyebrows, "Same thing as the last time."

Harry nodded. The main argument between his two best friends has always been the same one: children. Both wanted children, there's no question about it. There's only a matter of timing. Ron wanted to have children now, while Hermione wanted to focus on her career for a couple of years before settling down. He slowly pat his friend's back, "Just crash here tonight, mate. The guest room is already made for you." Tomorrow Ron will go back to normal and then they can have the talk. He is too drunk and tired to be talking about this right now. Whatever it is, both Ron and Hermione can settle it tomorrow.

At the same time Ron and Harry were talking in the living room, Ginny was in the next room, talking to Hermione on the phone.

"I swear, he is so immature sometimes! Argh!" Ginny had to pull the phone away from her ear for awhile as her friend continued rambling about that husband of hers rather loudly.

"Merlin, Hermione. You know you don't have to yell, I can still hear you on the telly," she replied.

Hermione sighed, "It's telephone, Ginny. Not telly. Telly is where you watch … oh forget about that. I'm just, so tired of this Ginny," Ginny knows her well enough to hear the exhaustion in her voice. "I'm so tired of the same conversation and it's like he doesn't even care about me."

"Of course he cares about you, Hermione," she peeped over her door to see her husband and brother still on the couch, but the firewhiskey is no longer in sight so that's good, "He just doesn't know how to show it. I mean, this is Ron we're talking about. Subtlety is not his forte."

Hermione snorted, "Yes well, that is true." Ginny smile at this, "Tell you what, let's meet up tomorrow for brunch. I feel like we haven't seen each other for so long now."

"Ginny. We just had breakfast today," Hermione couldn't help but laughed. Ginny is honestly so clingy these days.

"Well, I was just about to invite you to Muffin Man for the brunch, but if you don't want it then…" Ginny said in a sing-song manner, knowing very well Hermione cannot resist the scones there.

"I didn't say no, now did I?" Ginny could imagine Hermione rolling her eyes at this. "Seriously though, it was a bit unfair for you to drag Muffin Man into this."

"Ah, forever the drama queen," Ginny chuckled. "Ok then, I'll see you tomorrow Hermione. We'll talk more about that shameful brother of mine," Ginny playfully said.

"Alright, Ginny. See you tomorrow." Hermione grinned to her reflection in the car. Ginny always seemed to know what to say to calm her down. It's was a good thing she taught all of her friends to use mobile phone. It's so convenient, especially in matters like these. Right after the battle of Hogwarts, she and Ron tied the knot. Harry and Ginny then followed suit after few months.

It wasn't that she regretted getting married to Ron. It's just sometimes she wondered if she rushed into it. Before the wedding, she made it very clear to Ron that she is not going to settle as a housewife. She has big ambition and she is going to pursue her dreams. Ron told her ok, so they went ahead with the marriage.

Things were going great for both of them for awhile, but after a few years, Ron started to drop hints that he wanted children. She'd ignore him but after their second anniversary, Ron asked her to quit her job because apparently it was _time_ for them to have children. That was the first of many arguments they have about children. To make things worse, right after that, Harry and Ginny announced they were expecting their first child. She was truly happy for her best friends but it only makes things worse between her and Ron.

She sighed as it starting to rain. It was only a 20 minutes' drive to her parents, but she was planning to get there earlier as she was mentally and physically tired from her fights with Ron. She just wanted to go back, and sleep in her own bed. She knows she will have to do a lot of explaining to her parents but right now, she doesn't really care.

She contemplating apparating earlier but decided against it because she likes driving. It calms her because it gives her time to think. Was she being selfish by not wanting to have children? She mentally shakes her head, no way. It's not that she doesn't want children. It's just now is not the right time. The wizarding world is still too fragile and needs to be rebuild and she would very much wants to focus on that now. It will serves her children no good if they were brought into the world filled with chaos. No way.

She will stand by her decision and praying that Ron will be on the same page as hers. Though that is very unlikely, she groaned inwardly. Ron has been working as an Auror, trying to capture the remaining Dark Lord's supporters, so by right, Ron should understand the seriousness of the matter. It is dangerous to bring a child into this world now, not when there are still wanted Death Eaters on the loose.

She slammed her steering wheel as her frustration gets the best of her. It unnerved her, how Ron managed to make her the guilty one. Blaming her over the fights they been having lately. As tears trailing down her face, she wondered if this is how her life is going to be from now.

Her vision blurred once more, but not because of the heavy rain pouring outside. She angrily wiped her tears with her sleeves when she suddenly lost control of her car. Her hands were tightly on the steering wheel but she couldn't steer. She tries to brake but it makes it worse when the car stated to spin out of control. She could see the car was headed into a tree and that was the last thing she saw before darkness engulfed her.

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Quite short, I know but bear with me :)


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